Supreme Court Rejects Japanese Cult Leader's Final Appeal

Japan's Supreme Court has rejected the final appeal of the death sentence given to the former leader of a doomsday cult.

The court issued the ruling Friday.

Shoko Asahara was sentenced to death in 2004 for crimes including masterminding the 1995 poison gas attack on the Tokyo subway. In all, 27 people were killed in the crimes. The gas attack alone killed 12 people and made thousands ill.

His lawyers had argued that the former sect leader was mentally incompetent and called for the case to be dismissed.

However, a court appointed psychiatrist said in February that Asahara is faking mental illness.